The Mysterious Letter
by Fleur Gardener
Summary: Harry gets a mysterious letter
1. Default Chapter

Chris P. Gardener

(Disclaimer: All of the characters and things in this story belong to J. K. Rowling except for Chris and Norton. Oh, I own the bell too.)

(A/N: This is Harry's 6th year, and my first fic. If you think this is a little farfetched, just go with me, okay? I hope you like it!)

Harry joined Ron and Hermione at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. Then they all looked up at the rush of owls delivering messages. Harry wasn't expecting any letters because Hedwig, Harry's owl, was safely in the Hogwarts Owlery. However, a tiny owl, about the size of Ron's owl, Pigwidgeon, soared down to Harry and dropped a letter, and then perched on Harry's golden plate picking at Harry's bread. Harry anxiously unfolded the letter with Hermione and Ron peering over his shoulder.

_Dear Harry Potter,_

_Hello. My name is- well, are you the son of James and Lily Potter? If you are, please send Erma, my owl, back to me with a response. If you are their son, I have something important to tell you._

_From Chris P. Gardener_

"Um…. who's Chris?" asked Harry.

"I don't know. Why don't you ask when you reply?" suggested Ron.

"You can't reply! Must I remind you that You-Know-Who is after you? I mean random people don't just send you letters about your parents-" Hermione was cut off.

"Chris said he had something important to tell me," said Harry.

"You don't even know who Chris is!" exclaimed Hermione.

"That's why I'm going to ask him when I reply 'yes'," said Harry aggravated. He stormed off with the letter, forgetting about breakfast and leaving Erma alone with Hermione at the table.

*******

"Navy flower," Harry grunted the password to the Fat Lady portrait.

"What's bugging you?" asked the Fat Lady swinging open and revealing the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.

Harry went in and climbed the stairs to the boy's dormitory. It was empty; everyone was at breakfast. Harry grabbed a quill and a piece of parchment from his bag, and then marched back down to the common room determined to write the letter. 

Ron walked in as Harry sat down. Then Ron joined Harry on the couch and looked at the letter Harry was writing.

_Dear Chris,_

_ _

Harry paused. "What am I supposed to say? 'Yeah, I'm their son, by the way they're dead'?"

Harry and Ron both gave tiny chuckles, and then Ron spoke more seriously. "Harry, maybe he already knows that they're dead. I mean, doesn't everyone know about the story of You-Know-Who killing everyone but you?"

Harry pondered this for a minute, and then started to wonder why he wasn't getting touchy about his parents' death now that it had been brought up. "Well, I guess I've never thought about them much other than the times I relived their death," he thought, but then he turned back to Ron. "Well, what should I write then?"

"Maybe you should just tell him who you are and ask who he is," suggested Ron.

The boys attempted many letters until they were surrounded in crumpled pieces of parchment.

"This shouldn't be _that_ hard!" exclaimed Harry as he ripped another paper in half. "If Hermione hadn't stuck her nose into this, we wouldn't be so worried about telling Chris too much!"

Just then, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan walked into the common room leading the rest of the Gryffindors. Breakfast was over and everyone needed to get ready for the long day. The common room filled up, and Billy Armstrong walked over to the couch where Harry and Ron were seated.

"Hello, Harry!" squeaked Billy, holding something under his arm. He was a first year, picked by the sorting hat just a week before. He idolized Harry, but Harry thought Billy was just a more annoying Dobby.

"Hi, Billy," groaned Harry.

"Harry, guess what!" Billy removed what was under his arm. "It's a new poster of you and the Goblet of Fire! My mom just sent it to me! It took three whole owls to carry it!" Billy showed Harry and Ron the poster.

Harry looked up at it. "Geez, I look stupid," he thought.

"Isn't it neat?" asked Billy.

"Yeah, sure," sighed Harry. His picture was now waving back at him. "Look Billy, Ron and I have a lot of work to do right now."

"Okay dokie!" said Billy. He went over to one of the tables where other first years were sitting and begin to show off his poster.

Then Hermione walked in. She looked at the boys with disgust and then went over to their couch. "So, I see you've still decided to write the letter. Why don't you just listen to me? You're only hurting yourself!"

Hermione made Harry so angry that he quickly scribbled down

_Dear Chris,_

_Yes I am Harry Potter, the son of Lily and James. Who are you?_

_From Harry Potter_

on a piece of parchment and marched over to the exit of the common room. Then he turned back to Hermione. "Where's Erma?"

"She's in the Owlery," Hermione replied. "But Harry, don't danger yourself," she pleaded.

Harry ignored her and went to the Owlery to send the letter.

*******

Over the next couple of days, Hermione refused to speak to Harry or Ron. The boys refused to talk to her also.

Every morning since Harry sent the letter, he eagerly looked up into the owl swarm to find Erma. Finally he spotted her.

_Dear Harry Potter,_

_Please read this alone-_

Harry left his breakfast and told Ron to go to the common room with him. Then he continued to read.

_-This may sound weird, but I'm your brother. I was seven when Voldemort killed our parents-_

(A/N: Did you like it? If so, please tell me so in a review! If not, please don't flame me, this was my first fic. You can give me suggestions though, through a review. So…. REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!)


	2. Brother?

Brother?

(Disclaimer: All of the characters and things in this story belong to J. K. Rowling except for Chris, Norton, and the bell.)

(A/N: This is Harry's 6th year, and my first fic (2nd part of my 1st fic anyway).)

Harry looked up without finishing the letter. "I don't _have_ a brother!" he exclaimed. "If I do, why didn't Sirius or Hagrid or _anyone_ tell me?"

Ron tried to reply, but he was at a loss for words.

Harry and Ron weren't alone for long; the Gryffindor crowd entered again. Hermione went over to them suspiciously.

"See!" said Ron. "If Harry didn't reply, he wouldn't have known he had a brother!"

"Brother!?! Let me see that!"

Harry handed the letter to Hermione in order to prove his point.

Hermione, however, was too excited to read any further than Harry and Ron did. "He's probably lying," she blurted out. "I mean, a brother, really Harry. You can't believe that!"

"Don't talk that way about my brother!"

"He's not! Plus, even if he was, why didn't he tell you earlier? Why didn't Dumbledore or Hagrid tell you? Why didn't Sir- Snuffles especially?"

"That's just what I'm going to ask them!" Harry shouted.

"Why don't we ask Hagrid first?" suggested Ron.

Hermione was in shock that they believed the so-called 'Chris', however she was comforted that they decided to ask Hagrid because she was sure he would set them right.

BING!!!

The bell rang. Harry and Ron had completely forgotten about classes.

"We have a free period after Potions; that's in just two classes," said Ron, disappointed at the bell.

The three of them went to get their things for Herbology, and then ran to class.

When they reached there, the trio found out that Professor Sprout was sick. The substitute cleared her throat and stepped in front of the class.

"Professor Sprout got sick so suddenly that she couldn't leave me an agenda. So, I've decided to talk to you about how I became interested in Herbology. It all started 20 years ago…" the substitute droned on for what seemed like days.

*******

BING!!!

Ron said, "Oh, finally we can go to Potions- that has _got_ to be the first time I ever said that! It's probably the last time too."

During Potions, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were so excited and jumpy that it was almost as if they were going to explode. They asked Seamus what time it was so many times that he finally took off his watch and gave it to them.

Snape soon noticed how eager they were to go somewhere. He decided it was the perfect time to pick on them. He made them all make the hardest potion- one that would melt their cauldrons if they made it wrong. Harry and Ron's cauldron melted- and so did the table underneath.

"Detention after class!" Snape hollered, quite pleased with himself.

Hermione, feeling sorry for Harry and Ron, cut in, "No Professor 

Snape, I did it. I melted their cauldron!"

Snape thought for a minute, "Hmm…well, whether Hermione or one of the boys melted the cauldron, at least one of the eager students will serve detention. It doesn't really matter which one since all of them were as eager as the next to go somewhere." Snape came to the decision that Hermione would serve the detention.

Harry and Ron gave Hermione very thankful looks-they didn't dare speak incase of Snape giving them detentions after all. The three were friends again.

*******

BING!!!

The boys ran off to Hagrid's cottage without even bothering to put down their books.

Bang, Bang, Bang! They pounded on the door. "He's not home! Let's go to Dumbledore's office.

"Er…what's the password?" Harry asked Ron.

"It's always a sweet, so just name a bunch."

The boys stood in the hallway in front of Dumbledore's office door shouting out names of sweets at the gargoyle.

*******

"Well," said Snape, "you're punishment is unfortunately over, Miss Granger. However, I don't appreciate-"

Hermione wasn't going to stay a moment longer than necessary. She dashed out of the castle to Hagrid's and banged on the cottage door.

" 'ello there Hermione, what's new?" asked Hagrid.

"Where are Ron and Harry? Was I right?" Hermione blurted out, ignoring Hagrid's innocent question.

"Ron an' 'arry? I haven't seen 'em today."

"OH MY GOSH! I WAS RIGHT! I WISH I HADN'T BEEN RIGHT! VOLDEMORT GOT THEM!!!" gasped Hermione, running out of the cottage looking for them.

"You-Know-Who? What? Right about what?" Hagrid ran after Hermione quite confused.

*******

"Lemon Drop! Chocolate Frog!"

"Bertie Bott's every flavored Beans!"

The boys were still shouting sweets as Madam Pomfrey walked by.

"No! Boys, good thing we have that new dental program. Eating those sweets will just get your teeth rotten! Now come to the hospital wing so I can check for cavities," said Madam Pomfrey as she grabbed an arm from each boy and dragged them to the hospital wing.

"But-"

"No 'buts'! You _must_ have your teeth checked!"

*******

Harry and Ron ended up back in the Gryffindor common room with only a new toothbrush and toothpaste. They decided to read the rest of Chris' letter. However, before they did, Hermione came in sobbing. She looked up and screeched, "You're alive!"

"I think we'd have noticed if we weren't!" said Harry.

Hermione ran over to Ron and hugged him.

"Oh, thanks," said Harry.

"Oh," said Hermione, "sorry." She hugged Harry also, relived to see them alive.

"What do you mean 'you're alive'?" asked Ron.

"Well, when you didn't go to Hagrid's, I thought You-Know-Who got you guys."

"Oh, we went to Hagrid's, but he wasn't there," clarified Harry. "We were just about to read the rest of the letter from Chris."

Hermione sat down next to them so she could see the letter. They re-read the letter from the beginning just to make sure they understood it correctly.

_Dear Harry Potter,_

_Please read this alone. This may sound weird, but I'm your brother. I was seven when Voldemort killed our parents. I know this is hard to believe, but if I can meet you sometime, I'll explain the whole thing._

_From Chris Potter Gardener_

Hermione, not wanting to get in another fight with Ron and Harry, yet still wanting to be on the safe side, said, "Maybe we should ask Sirius before we reply."

"Well, okay," said Harry. "But we have to do it tonight."

"You mean sneak out?" asked Ron, a little scared. He quickly added, "Not that I mind," to cover up his fear.

"It's the only way to find out tonight," reasoned Harry.

All three agreed to go at midnight with burning curiosity in their hearts.

(A/N: Please review!)


End file.
